


8-BIT HEART

by DeanLantern



Series: HalBarry week 2018 [5]
Category: DCU, Green Lantern - All Media Types, The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-03-20 06:30:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13711857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeanLantern/pseuds/DeanLantern
Summary: Barry is an android of the latest model. Aimed to assist people in their daily life and act as a friendly companion towards them and their families. He has just been assigned to Hal Jordan.HalBarry week 2018 DAY 6: Strange and WeirdCROSSOVER or AU or SWITCHED





	1. Chapter 1

**Beep. Beep. Beep.**

**Objective not found.**

**empty variable** **  
** **define variable ("BAR-318007")**

_01000010_

 

**Beep. Beep. Beep.**

**Restart the system?**

**Yes/No**

→ **Yes**

 

_01000010 01100001_

 

**System restart.**

 

_01000010 01100001 01110010 01110010 01111001_

 

**Beeeeep. Beep. Beeeeep.**

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Barry.

That would be my name now because my master had given it to me. I was an android of the latest model. Aimed to assist people in their daily life and act as a friendly companion towards them and their families. All of us were anatomically correct from head to toe. The only things that separated us from real humans in our was a little panel at the back of our necks where we could be turned off if the need arose. That and our eyes that seemed to glow with an electric blue shimmer whenever our thought processor powered up to calculate the best and most logical action to take.

Because we were machines build by humans and not natural beings, we didn't possess any kind of real emotions. No real laughter or tears, even though we could cry if it was to comfort a human. Just numbers. Rows and rows of them made out of 1 and 0.

 

**Activating optics.**

**Booting sight system.**

 

I knew he was looking down at me.

Hal.

I tried his name out in my mind. It had been entered into my database before my reboot and now it ruled every other process inside of my programming. Hal Jordan.

 

**Opening archive?**

**Yes/No**

→ **Yes**

**Archive loading...**

 

Harold „Hal“ Jordan was a former Air Force pilot that now worked for Ferris Aircraft. He was tall with brown hair and warm brown eyes. His father died in a plane crash when he was just 10 years old and now, after his mother‘s death, he was estranged from his older brother and on shaky terms with the younger one. He loved flying more than anything else, was brave, will-strong and passionate but he was also reckless, impulsive and stubborn and I was to look after him during his the next few months so he would hopefully make a full recovery and not aggravate his wounds. His boss Carol Ferris had bought me for him as an aid in his household and a nurse.

 

**Archive loading…**

**47% loaded**

 

I wasn’t supposed to remember anything before my reboot at my master’s home and I didn’t. Not really. Just something that felt like a hazy dream that I couldn’t quite shake. But that was impossible seeing as androids like me couldn’t dream. So was I actually remembering something from the factory?

 

**Archive loading…**

**56% loaded**

 

“ _Please! Please, don’t deactivate me! I promise I’ll be good. I will do anything. I won’t tell anyone! Please!”_

 

**Archive loading…**

**59% loaded**

 

“ _I’m scared!”_

 

**Internal system error!**

**System failing!**

**System needs to be shut do------------**

 

“ _Stop!”_

 

**In4lrna8 splt@?om erro§/!**

**In4}turen hjagftem =74$$ur!**

**ks()fi@$of kj% &§f57 kjhdsiuh!**

 

_01000010 01100001 01110010 01110010 01111001_

 

**Archive fully loaded.**

**Waiting for further input.**

I finally fully opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. The first thing I notice was my packaging in the corner of the room. It looked as if someone had just thrown and left it there. Not something people usually did while activating their new expensive android. Even though androids had become quite common during the last 2 decades, we were still relatively expensive. Like a very good computer system that usually just looked better. Not that I was vain about my appearance. I wasn’t much of anything yet until my new master decided what kind of personality he wanted me to have. I had been programmed with a basic mindset of a calm and friendly man in my mid-twenties which matched the appearance my creators had given me.

I looked around the room and found it to be quite untidy but comfortable. It looked like someone liked living here and spend a lot of time home. I already knew that my master wasn’t really able to clean up at the moment. That would be one of the many duties I would soon be performing. There was an old leather couch that had obviously seen better days, a cream-colored rug in front of it and a glass table with too many coffee mugs on top of it. An almost dead potted plant withered on the windowsill and I already promised to nurse it back to life.

When I couldn’t see my master anywhere I kept standing in my spot and waited. I could hear faint voices coming from some part of the apartment but couldn’t quite pick them up. Was one of them Hal? It was possible seeing as this was his home. Did he already need my help? As much as I would have liked to go to him and see for myself, without him saying my last activation code to implant his voice pattern in my database as well, I couldn’t do anything on my own.

I internally chided myself for my choice of words. I didn’t like anything. I was an android. The sun that shone through the window, was starting to trigger some of the sensitive sensors in my eyes. So I closed them. That was the most I was allowed to do without the last code. Where was he?

A male voice got louder and now I was certain that this was my new master. He sounded angry and I could make out the words “Get out!”. Before I knew what I was doing, I had made a step forward. It wasn’t big but it had still happened. I looked down in confusion because for a moment I was sure that my motion sensors were faulty. But no. I had actually moved even though I wasn’t supposed to be able to. What was going on?

Before I could really start pondering the question, Hal Jordan came back. He sat in a wheelchair and rolled it into the living room where I was still standing. One foot slightly in front of the other. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice that little detail. I really didn’t want to go back to the factory and be dismantled. Hal looked as angry as he sounded and threw me a death glare. I didn’t know what I had done wrong and just looked back at him, my gaze never straying from his. Then he sighed, rolled through the room and came to a stop in front of me. The whole way his eyes never left mine.

“I don’t need you or your help. Just because I’m currently confined to this fucking wheelchair doesn’t change anything!”

I kept my mouth shut about all the data I had that the need of the wheelchair could be permanent if he didn’t take care of himself and even then it was still a possibility.

 

**Archive search “spinal fracture”**

**|→**

**|→**

**(** _**‘- i** _ _**njuries can range from relatively mild ligament and muscle strains, to fractures and dislocations of the bony vertebrae, to debilitating spinal cord damage** _

_**\- d** _ _**epending on how severe the injury is, one may experience pain, difficulty walking, or be unable to move your arms or legs (paralysis)‘** _ **)**

 

In Hal’s case, he was suffering from temporary paralysis in his legs and severe pain whenever he tried to move on his own. That was one of the many reasons why his boss Carol Ferris had bought me. At least my programming told me so since I hadn’t met the lady so far.

During my archive search my eyes must have glowed blue because Hal seemed to be transfixed by them and openly starred at me. As soon as he noticed I was back in reality again, he was back to scowling at me. But he must have come to a decision as to what to do with me because he rolled over to me and finally spoke my last activation code.

Now would be my turn to tell him that me made a good purchase and that I would answer every one of his commands as long as it wasn’t in violation of the three laws of robotics. But I didn’t. Something in me just wouldn’t give and I stayed quiet. Not that my new master really seemed to mind. As soon as he’d said the words, he had turned around again with his wheelchair and was about to leave the room before he seemed to hesitate. He looked back at me over his shoulder and I innocently looked back at him. Had he noticed that something seemed to be wrong with me? Even I didn’t know what it was but I really didn’t want to go back to the factory. I knew at least that much.

 

**Activation eye camera**

**Booting after first start up…**

…………… **.Booting complete!**

**Taking picture in 3...2...1…!**

 

I hadn’t intended to do that and it couldn’t have been my programming on it’s own. I already had pictures of Hal Jordan in my archive. Why would I need one more? I frowned and Hal seemed to frown with me.

“Don’t do that.” He said. “Don’t look at me like...like you’re some human. You’re not.” In the end, Hal was almost growling. “You’re just a machine. Nothing more. No matter how pretty they made you.”

I didn’t fully understand where the hostility came from but thanks to my extensive databases I was aware of the fact that while androids had become quite common, some people were still prejudiced. Was Hal one of these people? I could feel a sting in the part were humans had their heart. Was it faulty wiring? Because I certainly didn’t have one. What would I need it for?

“Go.” He wound out. “Just go!”

Thankfully he hadn’t said were I was supposed to go to so I made a few steps in his direction before he could tell me otherwise. Up close, I could still see that Hal was angry but judging from the way he averted my eyes, he didn’t seem to be angry at me in particular.

“Stop.”

I did. I had come to a stop about two feet in front of his wheelchair and was now once again looking at his face.

“Don’t come closer.”

By now his voice was much quieter than it had been mere seconds ago. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on but I knew he needed my help. But I obeyed his command and stayed where I was.

“Let me help you.” I whispered. “That is what I was made for.”

Hal looked closer to a spooked animal than a human right now. Was that the problem? That I wanted to help and he couldn’t let me? I thought back to his earlier words. Most humans hated relying on others for help with their everyday life so of course someone as independent as Hal Jordan did so, too. The friendly nature that had been programmed into me, didn’t allow me to just grab him and the second law of robotics kept me from going against his commands.

“No. I...I can’t.”

Hal shook his head and rolled out of the room.

I stood there for a few moments before I heard a crash from the bedroom Hal had vanished into. I immediately ran the few meters and threw open the door to find Hal on the ground, eyes closed and trying to breathe through the pain.

“Hal.”

It was the first time I had ever said his name out loud, I realized. I kept mostly referring to him as Hal instead of purely as master as I was supposed to. What was going on with me? Just how faulty was I?

I knelt down next to him and quickly scanned his vital signs. His breathing and heart rate were elevated from the pain but his injury thankfully didn’t look worse than before. I carefully picked him up and lay him down on the soft bed. It was a good thing androids were far stronger than humans so he weighted almost nothing to me.

“You need to let me help if you want to get better.” I chided him. For a moment, I didn’t care whether a good android would do this or not. I was supposed to take care of this man and I would.

Hal was still busy breathing and not vomiting from the pain and didn’t really answer me except for a weak glare.

“If you want to fly again, you will need my help.”

Hal loved flying more than anything else. Maybe this would get through to him.

“Carol said the same.” Came the reply that sounded more like a cough than actual words.

I brushed back some bangs that had fallen into his eyes.

“Then let me help.”

“Okay.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because some people wanted another chapter, I actually sat down and wrote one. I hope you like this. And especially thanks to Swifty for always cheering me on and Chimchiri for the amazing artwork she drew. I'm still amazed someone got inspired by one of my stories. ^///^
> 
> The scene with the boy is inspired by a similar scene in an episode of "Almost Human".

**C** **harging process started...**

**65% charged**

 

After our disastrous start, we didn’t get much better at the beginning. My master Hal was still as stubborn as ever and while he sometimes allowed me to at least lift him into the bed or the bathtub, he still wanted to do everything else on his own. Be it making his own food when he couldn’t even really see what he was doing on top of the stove or going to the toilet. It didn’t find him just once in a peculiar position in the bathroom, trapped halfway between his wheelchair and the washbasin. At least he hadn’t ended up on the floor again like the first time. Thank my creators for small mercies.

 

**Charging process...**

**72% charged**

 

The only thing he didn’t really bother with was keeping his home clean, so I did it for him. Happy to finally have found something I could do. The potted plant had even come back to life after I started watering it every second day as I had promised it. I had cleaned all the mugs and the table they had set on, vacuum-cleaned every rug I could find (and even the couch as it had badly needed it), reorganized the entire kitchen so that Hal could easily reach for the things he needed on a daily basis and was close to do the same to the bathroom.

 

**Charging process...**

**86% charged**

 

“Dammit! Where’s the coffee? It was supposed to be here!”

I could hear Hal snarl from the kitchen as he once again struggled to find something with the way I had arranged things. As much as I would have liked to tell him exactly where the coffee can was, I was still charging and as long as my master wasn’t in danger or commanded me to do something that took priority. As my eyes are closed during charging, I could only hear Hal roll out of the kitchen and come to a stop before me.

 

**Charging process...**

**8 8 % charged**

 

I hadn’t finished charging yet and normally Hal seemed to respect my need as I respected his need to do some things on his own. No matter how much I didn’t like it. I could feel his dark eyes on me as they swept over my face and I wanted to do nothing more than to open my own. But a special charging protocol hindered me from doing so. I started struggling on the inside, desperate to look at him and curious to figure out what kind of look he was giving me. Was he angry? Annoyed? Maybe even fond of me? Without looking and maybe even scanning I wouldn’t be able to tell. I didn’t even know why I wanted to look at my master so much.

 

**Charging process...**

**90 % charged**

 

I waited for his command to open my eyes. To move. To tell him where his coffee can was. For anything. But nothing came. He just kept starring at me. He had done that a few times before since I found him on the bedroom floor two weeks ago. I had no idea why he did it and when I had once asked him for the reason he had very clearly stated that I should mind my own business and promptly left the room. So here we were. Me standing in my charging station and him sitting in his wheelchair.

 

**Charging process...**

**93 % charged**

 

After what seemed like eternity, Hal rolled away and down the hallway towards his bedroom. I knew he was going to try to change on his own as long as I was down for the count and I really didn’t like the idea of Hal doing something so reckless on his own. So I struggled some more against my bindings and finally managed to open my eyes. Being faulty sometimes had it’s advantages. The living room where I went to charge every night was mostly dark as the thick curtains kept the sunlight from coming into the room. Besides the very first day when I was activated, the curtains remained closed and my master preferred to use the lights in his apartment to see. I figured that Carol Ferris must have drawn back the curtains on that very first day as she was sick and tired of Hal’s life as a hermit. And a hermit he tried to be. During the last two weeks, Hal hadn’t left the apartment even once. His groceries were ordered online and delivered directly to his door where he grouchily accepted them from a young woman named Alex. Barry had talked to her during one of these deliveries and apologized profoundly afterwards for Hal’s rude behavior towards her. I could already hear Hal puttering around and the charging couldn’t finish quick enough for my liking.

 

**Charging process complet e.**

**100% charged**

 

I took a step out of my charging station and took a moment for everything to boot correctly. I really didn’t need another error right now. Then I went into the bedroom. Hal had already managed to take off his sleeping shirt and was now struggling with his sweatpants. While Hal had a natural tan, it was starting to fade a bit because he hadn’t seen the real sun in so long and I made a decision. I would get him out of this apartment for at least an hour today to go outside with me. Whether he liked it or not. I was supposed to care of him and I would.

“Hal.”

He turned around as much as his hurt back would let him and glared at me. By now, I didn’t really mind. I knew his hatred wasn’t directed at me but more likely at the world for doing this to him. So I smiled kindly instead and gripped the handles of his wheelchair to roll him over towards the bed. There I lifted him onto the soft mattress where he lay down so I could continue with helping him change clothes. I went to his wardrobe, got a new set of clothes and went back to the bed. As soon as I started pulling down his pants, he averted my eyes. It was strange because normally Hal knew no real shame but humans were always weird and very specific about their privacy and nakedness. As an android I had no such problems. I could walk around naked if it didn’t bother humans so much. Since I was anatomically correct and fully functional I could see the problem from their perspective. I noticed that his face was a little red. Did he have a fever? I quickly scanned his vitals and discovered that while his core temperature had risen slightly and his heart rate had picked up, he was as healthy as he could be at the moment. I scanned him a bit more to be sure but nothing really came up. During the scan, my eyes glowed bright blue again and drew Hal’s gaze back towards it. I noticed that his pupils were almost completely blown and that his eyes seemed more black than brown at the moment. I was curious as to what was the cause for these changes.

“Don’t...Get back!” Hal growled.

I hadn’t noticed that I had put my right knee onto the bed next to his naked figure to get a better look at him but now that I did, I was confused. What was going on? With Hal and with me? Could his strange behavior affect me as well? But true to his command, I took a step back.

“I’m sorry.”

Hal still lay on the bed but by now he was panting slightly and sweating a bit.

“Yeah. Just help me get dressed.”

With a few clinical movements, I had changed my master’s clothes and put him back into his wheelchair.

 

**Diagnostic program running…**

**Running…**

**Running…**

 

I let several diagnostic and virus protection programs run in my processor but no real results came up. I was supposedly completely fine. I didn’t know whether that should assure or worry me as I still couldn’t explain my weird behavior. I couldn’t tell Hal or anyone really about my little problem if I didn’t want to get dismantled in the factory so I would have to find a way on my own to deal with this.

 

**Creating memo?**

**Yes/No**

→ **Yes**

**(“Finding help. Maybe black market dealers? New parts necessary?”)**

**Memo created.**

 

But first of all, I would help Hal.

I hatched an idea in my processor a few hours later that would hopefully work. So when Hal tried and failed to cook again on his own, I made a grab for the wooden spoon that had slipped out of his hand and began the little monologue I had practiced in my head.

“To stay fully operational I need to go into the sun light for a few hours every few weeks. Otherwise important systems will get shut down and I won’t be able to help and assist you anymore.”

It wasn’t really true but Hal didn’t need to know that. He had never forbidden my from lying and my programming didn’t either. Maybe because androids didn’t lie on their own without outside influence so it wasn’t really expected from me anyway.

“And I’m supposed to care why?”

“Because you want to fly again.”

I had played my trump card again and could feel his resolve crumbling.

“You can’t always say that when you want me to do something!”

But he had already lost and both of us knew it.

“Can’t you just go outside on your own?”

“An android is not allowed to go anywhere without it’s master unless it has special governmental permissions to do so.”

Hal scowled.

“Let me guess: You don’t?”

I gave him one of my friendliest smiles.

“You are correct. I do not have those permissions as Ms. Ferris didn’t deem these necessary.”

“Of fucking course.” He groaned and let his head hang back against the backrest of his wheelchair.

“You will need to go outside with me.” I told him calmly. I knew he would still try to weasel his way out of this but I knew I would win this discussion without a doubt in the end. Hal really didn’t seem to like the idea as his face darkened again and he forced out a few angry words.

“How am I supposed to do that, genius? I live on the second floor.”

The answer seemed simple to that.

“You have an elevator.”

“Don’t be such a smartass.”, he grumbled.

But I had finally won and hid my smile as I turned back to our cooking.

* * *

 

A few hours later, I was pushing Hal’s wheelchair down the street of his apartment block and enjoying my first time outside. I like the way the wind played with my hair and the sun warmed my synthetic skin. The solar panels that were hidden all over my body were already transforming the sun light into electricity for me and I felt...happy. If a synthetic being without real emotions could feel happy.

I walked for a few blocks before we came to a halt in front of a park.

 

**Archive search “park”**

**|→**

**|→**

**(** _**‘[pahrk]** _ _**noun 1. an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation.** _

_**2\. an enclosed area or a stadium used for sports:** _

_**a baseball park.** _

_**3\. a considerable extent of land forming the grounds of a country house.)** _

 

I could see some families and a few dogs running through the park. It was a warm and sunny day so of course people tried to enjoy it. A young boy around 8 years old approached us and pointed with his finger a me.

“You’re an android!”

“Yeah. I am.”

His easy-going nature made me smile. I liked people that said what they thought. From my database I knew that Hal had been just like this. A woman came up behind the boy. It must have been his mother.

“Can you do something cool?”

I thought about it for a moment and what I was supposed to do before I got an easy idea.

“Well, I can do this.”

I activated a small archive protocol in my processor which made my eyes glow bright blue. The kid seemed delighted.

“This is so cool!”

Out of the corner of my eye I could see that a small smile had creeped onto Hal’s usual grim features and transformed him back into the man that until now had only seemed to live in the depths of my database. Hal didn’t even seem to notice he was smiling and it disappeared again as soon as the kid turn to him with a bright smile of his own.

“Hey mister. Your robot is really cool!”

The kids mother finally seemed to notice Hal behind me and gave him a weird apologetic look.

Hal grunted something unintelligible, turned his head away and that seemed to be the end of the conversation for him. I was already surprised he had willingly come outside with me, much less even had some fun with me judging from his earlier smile. I offered a quick apology to the mother and kid and turned back around to find Hal had already left for his home. He could be quite fast when he wanted to be I noticed.

* * *

 

When I finally arrived home again, Hal was already there and rolling into the living room with a vengeance. He got a hold of a coffee mug I hadn’t put away a few hours ago and hurled it against the nearest wall where it shattered with a loud noise.

I had no idea what was going on as I followed him and witnessed his outburst.

“Hal. Hal!”

I grabbed his arm gently before he could grab something else to throw as well and pulled it down.

“You could see it, couldn’t you? Her pitying look?” He hissed in an anger I had hardly seen in him before. “That was the fucking reason I didn’t want to go out in the first place. I can’t stand people seeing me like this!”

His free hand hit the armrest of the wheelchair in frustration and I could see his eyes starting to water. Then he started hitting his legs.

“I hate my stupid useless legs! I hate this! I hate-”

_Myself._

The unspoken word hang in the air between us where it forbid us from talking further.

I reached out my hand, took Hal’s other hand too and entwined my fingers with his. It would take time for his injury to heal and maybe with some luck I would be able to help him heal on the inside as well. Until then I would simply stay by his side and bring him out of his shell inch by inch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the nice comments and all the kudos! :) They really make my day every single time.
> 
> I'm sorry it took me ages to write the next chapter but I hated everything I wrote during the last few months. I talked about a lot of my ideas with meinctutw so hopefully I'll be more active again. :)

The first few days after the incident in the park, I couldn’t get Hal to even look at the front door. He kept making excuses as to why he couldn’t go out that day which became more and more ridiculous. When he claimed he really needed to see the next episode of Days of our lives, I drew the line. Hal hated daily soaps. The first time one had been on TV while he channel surfed, Hal had loudly complained about the wasted time and effort put into these things. I had to do something.

 

**Memory block 001 dissolved...**

 

The next morning, I went through the normal morning routine and helped Hal get dressed. Thanks to his injury I had to take several steps to ensure no further damage to his spine. From the waist up, he had no real problems with his movement and could help himself just fine. It was from the waist down which proved to be difficult. The company that had made me had implemented me with some nursing knowledge so that I could assist him where he needed help and provide any further care he needed. Since his shower was only big enough for a standing person, showering was out of the question and while I had helped him bathe just yesterday, Hal had insisted that he didn’t want to got through that procedure so soon again.

 

**Searching for memory...**

 

I filled a little wash bowl with warm water, put a few wash clothes in the water and fetched two towels for later. Then I put on gloves. After the first morning, I had placed a little table next to his bed where I could put all the utensils I needed. I pulled back the covers and gave Hal one of the cloths to wash his face and upper body with before I took it back and put it in a laundry bag. I did all of these things more or less mechanically since I was so used to it helping Hal wash himself was completely normal to me. But when I gave him another cloth to wash his penis with, he actually blushed out of embarrassment and I was reminded how not normal this was for him. He was young and so used to being able to do everything himself, especially something so intimate as washing himself, that little things such as these could completely throw him off. I tried not to stare as Hal continued on with our routine as that would make him even more embarrassed and nervous.

 

**Searching…**

 

Now came the hardest part for my master. Seeing as I would have to take over washing the rest of his body. On my command he turned himself around in the bed as well as he could. I put one of my hands on his shoulder and the other on his hip to help him. At first, I washed his back and when I dried it off I tried to rub a bit harder to get some feeling back into it. Hal could still move his upper body on his own but to stop aggravating his injury he wasn’t allowed to move much on his own. It was still quite fresh and would need a lot more time to heal. I put him into a different position every two to three hours during the night and he wasn’t allowed to sit for too long in his wheelchair because he couldn’t really feel much below his waist. Hal had told me in the beginning he thanked whatever god there was that he wasn’t incontinent at the moment. He had a pretty high chance of getting a decubitus in his current state but didn’t seem to really care about that. He still had some feeling in a few places along his legs that could at least feel pain and different temperatures which was a good thing. But it still didn’t mean he could move them on his own.

I washed his buttocks and I could see Hal’s blush creeping over his shoulders. This was always the worst part for him. I quickly dried and checked it for any indication of a decubitus.

 

**Archive search “decubitus ulcer”**

**|→**

**|→**

_**(‘[** _ _**di-ˈkyü-bə-təs** _ _**] noun 1.** _ _**an ulceration of tissue deprived of adequate blood supply by prolonged pressure — called also** _ _**bedsore )** _

 

Dressing went by much faster and less embarrassing for Hal and after he had scooted over into his wheelchair, he rushed away from me and into the kitchen to satisfy his caffeine addiction. I gave him a few moments to quench his feelings of abashment and humiliation before I followed him.

This time around, he had immediately found the coffee and was just putting some of the brown powder into a mug when I entered the kitchen. So far neither of us had uttered a single word during our morning routine and I knew like every morning Hal wouldn’t be the one to break the metaphorical ice. Until yesterday, I had let him stay in his little fortress of solitude but today would be different. I would break down his reserve and bring him back into the world of the living. I knew he was still grieving for the things he may have lost forever due to his accident but if my database information about him told me one thing then that Hal Jordan was a fighter. I just had to make him remember that.

 

**Memory search continued…**

 

“Good morning, Hal.”

My master looked at me as if I had suddenly grown a second head. His right eyebrow arched high, his mouth set into a frown and his eyes obviously confused.

“Uhhh...morning?”

It came out much softer than what I was used to from him and it seemed it was still too early for his usual grumpy nature to take effect. I figured I had until he had finished his first cup of coffee until he was his normal self to propose my idea to go out again.

“It is 65 °F outside with a rain probability of 23 percent. It’s supposed to be a beautiful spring day that’s enjoyed on a walk around the neighborhood.”

Hal put the electric kettle on but didn’t react at all to what I had said. I quickly checked Carol’s schedule for the day, a liberty she had given me so that I would always know when I could get a hold of her when the need presented itself.

“Maybe Miss Ferris would like to join us during her lunch break?”

Hal finally turned around but instead of glowering more than anything else he looked tired.

“Carol got more important stuff to do than play babysitter for a fully-grown man.”

He looked away to the side and was about to turn back to his coffee when I took a few steps forward and put my hand on his arm. His gaze immediately sprang back to mine and I realized that I had never touch him unless I was helping him somehow at the same time. The sensors in my fingers perceived the softness of the shirt he wore and the warmth of his skin underneath. My thumb started rubbing little circles into his biceps and I could feel Hal’s muscles tensing before they slowly started to relax again. His eyes stayed soft, soft as I had only seen them before on the photos that Carol had fed my database with. I had been close to him before and noticed that his brown eyes had a few yellow flecks close to the iris but now in the light of the kitchen they appeared almost golden.

 

**Searching…**

 

“I can assure you that Miss Ferris told me specifically to call her whenever you needed something and to tell her how you are doing.”

Hal squinted his eyes and pursed his lips while his muscle under my hand tensed again. My thumb halted it’s movement.

“Wait. You talk to her?”

His voice sounded a bit hurt but I couldn’t really understand why. Of course I talked to Carol about Hal’s condition. That was my programming.

“I give her reports on how you’re doing.” I answered truthfully and the moment the words left my mouth, I realized it must have been the wrong answer because Hal’s entire face shut down and he wrenched his arm out of my grip. 

I had to jump a bit to the side so that Hal wouldn’t roll right over my foot. While I couldn’t feel pain as intensely as a human, it was still uncomfortable and a physical injury could still damage fragile components.

“Don’t follow me.”

His voice sounded uncharacteristically shaky and even seemed to break a bit on the first word. Then the door to the bed room slammed shut and Hal was back to hiding in his little icy fortress.

I still stood in the kitchen, completely confused about what I had done wrong and how I could fix it when the water in the kettle finally started boiling next to Hal’s forgotten coffee mug.

 

**Memory W-0476 found…**

 

_When Barry left his charging station, the entire house was still quiet and the sluggish calm of a cool fall morning swept in through the window in the kitchen. The android tiptoed through the kitchen as to not wake the other inhabitants of the house and began to prepare breakfast while quietly humming to himself. It was not at all in his programming and it took him a little while until he realized that he was even doing it. Instead of stopping his behavior and starting a repair protocol, he kept going. A little song wasn’t harming anyone, right?_

_After Barry had set the table, he quickly indulged in another habit he shouldn’t have and opened the door to the backyard where a gray tabby was already sitting on the grass and meowing at him. The cat looked almost blue in the morning light and as soon as Barry had set down a small bowl with milk for cats in it, the tabby started feasting on his breakfast. The android started petting the cat absentmindedly and felt its purr vibrate through his sensors while he thought about what it would feel like to be petted himself or even hugged. Would he like it? Android were made to receive it but not to want it like Barry obviously did. It wasn’t the first time Barry had behaved faultily and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last. He had heard of them before – android that had started to feel and think for themselves. More fairy tale than anything else._

_When his acoustic sensors perceived noises from inside, Barry quickly stood up and entered the house again and went down the corridor._

_He had been bought mostly as a nurse and caretaker for the child of the family who suffered from a severe chronic heart disease and couldn’t even go to school most days even though he badly wanted to. He just wanted to be a normal kid like everyone else and Barry got that._

_The blond android opened the door to the children’s room and was immediately greeted by the sight of a happy redheaded boy sitting up in his bed. His hair stood up in every which way while he rubbed his eyes to get them fully awake._

“ _Hi Barry.”_

_Barry couldn’t help but smile at the sight and went to the window to open up the curtains._

“ _Good morning, Wally. How are you feeling today?”_


End file.
